Family Presidential Election, 2010
The Family presidential election for 2010 was the 2nd biennennial presidential election. It was held on December 5, 2009. Incumbent Moderate Party President Jeffrey surprised Council by announcing he would not seek a second term, citing work and family commitments, as well as falling health. Seeking to turn the tables, Amnesty nominee Veronica (outgoing Secretary of Youth in the Moderate-Amnesty coalition) and running mate Elise won a sound victory, making it the first time a Presidential candidate has taken over 50% of the vote. They defeated Moderate Party nominee and outgoing Vice-President Elizabeth, alongside the Traditional Party nominee Reginald, who served two terms on Family Council. The Bloc Quebecois, which contested the 2008 election, disbanded prior to 2010. The campaign focused on electoral reform and further push towards changing the family image. The Moderates campaigned on finishing Jeffrey's legacy, including the abolishment of the Elder Council, while the Amnesty Party campaigned on renewal and a change in direction. The Traditionals ran a less radical campaign, instead focusing on fiscal issues like reducing family treasury deductions and abolishing salaries for the Family Council. Veronica swept through the election, taking 54% of the vote and 4 of the 6 family constituencies. The 2010 presidential election coincided with the Family Council elections where the 9 elected Council seats faced re-election. Nominations Moderate Party Nomination Main Article: Moderate Presidential Primary, 2010 Candidates * Elizabeth: Elder Councillor for Halton and Family Council Vice-President. Amnesty Party Nomination Main Article: Amnesty Presidential Primary, 2010 Candidates * Veronica: Secretary of Youth and Councillor for Clarkson's second district. * Cecile: Secretary of Media and Elder Councillor for Anderson. Traditional Party Nomination Main Article: Traditional Presidential Primary, 2010 Candidates * Reginald: Traditional Party Leader and Councillor for Singh's First District. * Linda: Traditional Party Deputy Leader, Elder Councillor for Singh and Official Opposition Critic for the Treasury and Youth. * Robert: Former Councillor for Clarkson's second district (2008) General Election Campaign Issues LGBT Rights Veronica and the Amnesty Party put LGBT Rights at the forefront of the election campaign, stating that the Moderates under Jeffrey and Elizabeth had been weak on LGBT rights, and did not allow any further discussion on the topic when the two parties were in coalition. Elizabeth stated the Moderates were clear on maintaining the status quo and that LGBT debates should not be the issue of the entire family, but rather the small family unit dealing with it. The Traditionals surprised most when they also came out in support of the Moderate position. Electoral Reform With the election dry-run taking place in 2008, followed by a midterm election in 2009, questions on how to improve the system were also brought up. The Moderates and Amnesty Party continued to support the abolishment of the Elder Council, but disagreed on whether to do it through total elimination (Moderates), or just changing the seats into elected seats (Amnesty). The Traditionals supported the status quo, saying the system worked fine and did not need changing. Family Treasury The Traditions promised to focus their campaign on the Family Treasury, and making sure it isn't bloated unnecessarily and came out in support of reducing family treasury levies. The Moderates promised to change the system of the Family Treasury, so that those who pay in would get the benefits of it (such as funeral coverage and family reunion budgets). The Amnesty Party argued the Treasury had been an important family function for the past thirty years and there was no need to reform it. Debates One debate was held over a Facebook group conversation, with transcript available for those who did not attend. Additionally, each Presidential nominee had a Q&A session with the Family Newspaper on important issues, with answers posted in the December 2009 edition. Opinion Polling TBA. Star Candidates Shamu Shamu, Prasana's sister, announced that she would be the Amnesty Party candidate in Singh's third district, running against Moderate incumbent Senthu. She stated only the Amnesty Party supported family rights and that they were the driving force behind overturning Prasana's exile. She ended up winning the seat. Mary Mary, Prasan's mom, announced that she would be the Amnesty Party candidate in Singh's first district, hoping to win the open seat vacated by Reginald, who was running for President. She won the council seat. Controversies Traditional Flip Flop The Amnesty Party took advantage of the Traditionals' and Reginald's shift towards the Moderate Party's centrist policies by painting that Elizabeth and Reginald were of the same cloth. Veronica claimed that both would not help reform the family for exiles or basic human rights. This claim seemed to resound well with family members, who voted it a defining moment of the campaign. Results Category:Family Presidential Election